For comparison, the summer superhero tent-pole "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" snatched $8.7 million from Thursday night showings and went on to a three-day debut of nearly $92 million. The reboot/sequel has grossed more than $150 million domestically, plus more than $400 million from overseas, for a worldwide total of more than $550 million.

Winning the box-office derby on its opening weekend was a foregone conclusion for “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation,” leaving only the question of just how formidable a draw the latest installment in the Tom Cruise-led thriller franchise would be.

After receiving a Donkey Kong-style pounding from critics, "Pixels," the '80s video-game themed comedy starring Adam Sandler, was edged out at the box office on its opening weekend, failing to take the No. 1 spot from "Ant-Man," which earned an estimated $24.8 million.